2 Seed Nuts (large) w/Instructions. Each nut has multiple embryo chambers; 3-6) w/Instructions
Specimen Tree, seeds are scarce.
The handkerchief tree is considered to be the Holy Grail of exotic flora, and seeds were first sent to England by the legendary botanist Ernest Wilson in 1901. The dove tree is a deciduous tree that typically grows 20-40’ tall with a broad pyramidal habit. Red-anthered flowers in rounded clusters bloom in April-May. However the showy parts of the bloom are the large showy white bracts (one 3-4 inches long and the other 6-7 inches long) which subtend each flower cluster. The bracts flutter in the slightest breeze, and, from a distance, purportedly look like white doves sitting in the tree, hence the common name. Flowers are followed by round, greenish-brown, golf ball-sized fruits on 2-3” stems. The bright green leaves (3-6” long) are heart-shaped at the base. Variable fall color ranges from undistinguished dull pastels to bright oranges and reds. Other common names, all in reference to the unique flowers, include handkerchief tree, laundry tree and ghost tree. Genus honors Abbe Armand David, a French missionary to China from 1862-1873, who first described and collected the tree.
Seeds are large, the size of a nut, and capable to produce 3-5 seedlings each, depending on the number of seed compartments in each seed. Best grown in organically rich, consistently moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Zone 6-10. Blooms at 3 Ft tall.
***Please Note: This seed has a long pre-treatment period.
